Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Cyprus Situation

February 9, 2004

Japan welcomes the news that from February 10, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will resume negotiations in New York toward a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem upon the invitation of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Japan expects that the Cypriot leaders of both sides will not miss this historic opportunity of the accession of Cyprus to the EU in May this year for a settlement of the Cyprus problem, and reach an agreement through negotiations on the basis of the comprehensive settlement plan proposed by the United Nations (Annan plan).

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